Editorial: Indian River County officials need to resolve situation with GoLine fixed route bus hub, once and for all

County needs to resolve situation with GoLine bus hub, once and for all

There finally may be a resolution to the battle over the location of the GoLine fixed-route bus hub — a battle that has pitted neighborhood residents against Indian River County, and the county against the city of Vero Beach.

It's about time. This problem has percolated for four years and needs to be resolved.

County officials have proposed moving the transfer center from its current location in an old county administration parking lot along 25th Street to the parking lot next to the current county administration complex. Some neighborhood residents have complained about the traffic impact from the current site and about strangers traveling through the streets to get to and from the hub.

The Senior Resource Association operates the GoLine public bus service.

What prompted the county's decision? Action by the city's Code Enforcement Division, which cited both the county and the Senior Resource Association for code violations. A transit hub is not permitted in that area.

(Wonder why code enforcement didn't take this action sooner?)

Instead of seeking a variance for the current location — which the county could have done — county officials have decided to move the transfer hub to the current administration complex, according to County Community Development Director Bob Keating.

The county and the Senior Resource Association have until Feb. 22 to comply with the citations.

Keating also said he hopes to have a permanent site ready by the end of the year.

Let's hope the situation will be resolved.

This isn't the first time we've been close to a resolution.

At one point, the transfer station was going to be located on a 1.5-acre site the city owns along the south side of 16th Street, west of the railroad tracks. A $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation was secured to build the new permanent hub. However, city and county officials couldn't agree on who would be responsible for some of the maintenance at the site.

An opportunity lost.

County officials need to follow through on their stated course of action and settle this issue, once and for all.